Adelaide teen runs straight into mother's arms after being caught up in terrifying Paris tragedy
For nearly two terrifying hours, 19-year-old Stephanie Spencer cowered in the storeroom of a Paris bar next to the Bataclan theatre, huddled with others while gunmen opened fire on patrons nearby.
The Adelaide teen rushed home last night after what was meant to be the trip of a lifetime, running off the plane and straight into her mother's arms.
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What was meant to be the trip of a lifetime - her first out of the country and under her mother's watchful eye - may very well be her last.
It was the end of a 14-day Contiki tour through 12 European countries, taking in landmark sights and famous faces.
But as the full horror of the terror attacks unfolded, she sent panicked text messages to family and friends.
Back home, Stephanie's mum Andrea and sisters feared the worst.
Eventually, with others, she escaped, running for her life through the mayhem and bloodshed to the Paris metro and eventually the safety of her hotel, where she watched the tragedy unfold on TV.
"We couldn’t understand what they were saying but we could recognise the places," she told 7 News.
"We had been there hours beforehand and we were just freaking out.
"We could just see photos and people running and screaming and we’d been there."
Tasmanian woman Emma Parkinson, 19, from Hobart, was among those injured in the Bataclan - the scene of the most concentrated killing - where terrorists went systematically from door to door executing 100 concertgoers before blowing themselves and four officers up when confronted by police.
John Leader, 46, and his son, Oscar, 12, were temporarily separated when they ran from the hall and for their lives after gunmen opened fire.
Mr Leader told the UK Telegraph he tried to hide his son under a mixing desk when those inside the Bataclan realised that a series of loud bangs at The Eagles of Death Metal performance were not fireworks, rather gun shots.
